nolife

Written on the plane to Queenstown.

We picked up our film an hour later.  Halfway though the wait we moved the car since it was only 30 minute parking.  The pictures turned out nice.  The shop, though, didn’t put the borders on which upset Rachel a good bit over time.  Shortly after picking them up we headed out of town.

We drove [to] Oapu and got the car ferry to Russell.  She’d been told about a great beach by a guy in the hostel so we turned away from the town and headed out.

We drove for ages it seemed.  Poor Rachel was in a sour mood, her mind racing about all the things to come in Southeast Asia.  She needed padlocks & a mozzie net.  A chain, too.  She had expected Charlie [(her friend that had been travelling with her)] to be with her for the whole trip and now she was at it alone.

I did my best to put a smile on her, but shes as bad as me when I start thinking.

(more…)

[I'm] on the AirBus to the airport in Auckland.  I’ve been up since 5am.  Catching up…

Walked back to the hostel [after watching the sunrise] & ate 3 pieces of free toast.  I showered properly and brushed my teeth.  Then I sat in the courtyard updating my journal and waiting on the manager.

When he came in, I checked out.

But I forgot.  Before breakfast I called the airport and finally spoke to someone!  She told me they had a note that I’d come to the airport to pick [my pack] up. Then I called Mom & Susan to let them know where I was.  Neither of them said anything much about my detour, which I found amusing.  There was a bad storm at home and I lost connection with mom’s cell [phone] once.

Back to the hostel I checked out and walked toward Rachel’s hostel.  It was a bit further than I remembered, sending me around a bluff.  It wasn’t terrible though & I found a nice spot near the beach to wait.

I saw her loading up the car after sitting (and writing) for about 20 minutes.  I walked up the road and we headed out.

We stopped at the strip mall & dropped out film at the 1 hour.  Then we wandered around shopping.  I picked up some postcards.  1 for Jamie & 1 for Mom & Dad.  Rachel sent a few – her gran, her mum & dad, and her boss.